Tender
by DJ Moves
Summary: At some point after Battle City, Joey is with Marik, not sure what's going on. Begins to fall for him. Virtually completed unless muse strikes.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Tender  
  
Author: DJ  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summery/Notes: Very, very short fic. Might be part of a series, but it was me testing out the waters with pairing Joey with other people. I think the two blonds look good together and seems to be a very under used coupling. Marik (as I prefer to call him, because I think it sounds nicer than Malik) gets paired with either his Yami or Bakura so often that you have to wonder if that isn't just a straight jacket. Plus, Joey hardly gets paired at all, but usually with Yugi/Yami Yugi or Kaiba. Or Tristan...or Duke. Um... Next, I want to try a Mako/Joey!  
  
His arms wrapped around me and held me close. His blond hair was soft against my bare chest. I felt his fingers trail down my arm as he whisperers, "I could loose myself in you, Joey."  
  
How did I end up here? Good question. I don't even really know the person in my arms. His tan skin stands out against my pale, creamy skin. His blond is different from mine. He's more of a platinum, while I guess I'm a gold. It looks more like un-woven silk in my arms. Sometimes he glances up at me, and I can see his soft, gentle violet eyes. No, lilac. Everything about him is familiar, and yet not. Like a forgotten dream or de ja vu. He inches closer to me, whispering something that I don't understand. I like his voice. It's soft. Yet strong. And yet so passive and scared. He's seen something terrible to be like this.  
  
He's a mess. He was sobbing in my arms only minutes earlier. He was probably looking for his...brother or servant or whatever. Rishido. He stares up at me, breaking my thoughts and I gently stroke his cheek. "Joey..." he whispers, bringing me into a kiss.  
  
As his tongue works over mine in a mindless motion of lust and need, I get lost in the moment, forgetting who and what I am. Forgetting who he is.  
  
He is.  
  
That's all I know.  
  
He is neither friend nor enemy.  
  
I gasp, feeling his warm tongue run over my cold skin. A small moan escapes my lips as I begin to loose myself in him. But I know I can't. I keep my hand grasped in reality as the rest of me falls.  
  
My hand trails down his back as he gasps, pulled from me. "Joey...no...no!" He holds his head in his hands, breathing heavily.  
  
"Na-- Namo...?" I tried tentatively. That's not his name, I know. But I'm not sure what else to call him. He turns to me, staring at me through those eyes that are now so filled with pain. "What happened?" I whisper before I realize what I'm saying.  
  
"Please save me from him..."  
  
I stare at him, confused. "What?"  
  
"Him. Y-Yami..."  
  
"Yami?"  
  
"*My* Yami," his insists. "I only wanted to be pharaoh. He...he wants to kill...everyone."  
  
"You don't have the Rod anymore. Yugi took it."  
  
"No...he's different. He comes out when I'm angry. Or weak. I don't want...I don't want him to come out."  
  
I take him into my arms, holding him close. "Shhh..." I breathed. "Don't worry. No. Don't. I'll help you. He won't come out." I began petting his golden silk for hair, hearing his soft sobs. "He won't come out..." 


	2. Chapter 2

"Dark power resides within him," Yami whispered.  
  
Marik looks up, and tightens his grasp around me. Tears fall down his cheeks freely as he tries to hide himself within me. "No..." he whispers.  
  
Yami looked down then back up at me. "You have to leave him."  
  
"No!" I yell at him. "You banished his Yami!"  
  
"He can come back," Yam says softly.  
  
"He doesn't have the Rod anymore! Please!"  
  
"Joey, his Yami isn't from the Rod. It is his own hate and pain manifested into another personality. The power of the Rod only made it stronger."  
  
Marik began to sob in my arms.  
  
I looked up at their faces, begging for one of them to understand. Tristan shakes his head, disgusted. Yugi and Mokuba clutch onto Yami and Kaiba, in order. Ryou shakes his head and turns away, while Duke sighs. Even Bakura sneers at me. "He's trouble, Mortal. Don't put yourself in that hell."  
  
Kaiba eyes all of them from the corner of his eyes. "Joey..." he finally whispers. "Don't do this. Honestly."  
  
Marik's weeping in my arms, begging me not to let go.  
  
"I'm not going to leave him!" I finally yell.  
  
Yami looks down. "You really want to risk yourself like that?"  
  
"What can he do?!"  
  
"There's enough hate in him to destroy the world. His Yami would do it, too. Wouldn't even bat an eye. All the emotion that is needed to create another personality has to come from somewhere, his case being the hate for everything around him."  
  
"I don't hate everyone!" Marik screams, beginning to clutch at his head. "I don't! I don't! I don't! Noooooooo!!!"  
  
"Joey get away from him!" Bakura screams, pushing Ryou behind him.  
  
Marik falls from my arms, throwing a fit. "Nooooo...! No!" He gasps, hitting his head against the floor. "Get him out!" he sobs. "Help me!" His eyes look up at me, crazy and scared. "Please Joey...please..."  
  
"Don't you remember what he did?" Tea yelled.  
  
I glance back at her, then slowly inched my way towards Marik. "It's okay," I whisper, taking his head into my lap. "I won't let him hurt you."  
  
"He could destroy you and himself, Joey!" Yami yelled.  
  
I don't care anymore. I'm probably too stupid...or maybe he's hypnotized me. I don't care. All that really matters is that I need to protect him. I pull his fists from the deadlock grip he has on his hair. "It's okay, it's okay," I soothe, softly talking to him.  
  
"Where's Isis? Where's Rishido?!" he demands, before falling over in a fit of sobs again.  
  
"It's okay. It's okay," I whisper. I realize I'm tempting my fate. If I can't keep his yami from coming out, I'm as good as dead. I don't care anymore. I'd rather be dead than to leave him like this. "It's okay, Marik. Calm down. I won't let him come out, I promise. He can't hurt you. He can't. Not if you fight him. Come on, Marik, fight him. Please. Fight him."  
  
He gasps, and digs his nails into my leg. I barely notice. "Joey..." he whispers. He pulls from me suddenly and begins clawing at his skin, whimpering. Suddenly, he stops moving, gasping to replenish his body with oxygen. "J...J...Joey..." he whispers and slowly opens his eyes.  
  
I rush to him, taking him into my arms, petting his hair. "It's okay. See? You're okay. You can fight him. I won't let you get hurt again, Marik. I promise. I promise."  
  
He sobs, but this time, it's from relief. "Joey..." he moans, lifting his head up to rest his chin on my shoulder. His arms go around my back and gently stroke my shirt. "Th-thank you..." 


End file.
